Toronto underground music showcase summon extravagant costumes and lively performances

By: Sena Law

Five images of people in costumes cut out on a background graphic with texts, texted reads “quoted Halloween lookbook vampire prom” — Attendees and artists showed up with their best costumes at Quoted x Vampires Prom Halloween party (Sena Law/CanCulture, background graphic via @vampiresprom)

On Oct. 31, spotlights shone through the stained glass of Bar Cathedral onto The Esplanade in downtown Toronto. Along with the lights emanating from the cathedral-inspired music venue are the sounds of lively rap music and waves of cheers and excitement coming from the crowd. Vampires Prom, a monthly music event dedicated to showcasing the local underground music scene, worked alongside Quoted Toronto to curate a Halloween music showcase for this year’s spooky season.

Instead of ghouls, 13 musical artists haunted Bar Cathedral with their deadly-energetic live performances. The show was headlined by Toronto artists Gabriel LA, Luc Belaire, damn drone as well as Vampires Prom creators and fellow musicians , Trae Gold and Lofsky.

The Halloween spotlight is mutually shared by attendees of the event who showed out in their best costumes. From horrifying to horrifyingly adorable, the costumes present were not short in creativity or effort.

Stepping into the dimmed music hall of Bar Cathedral, the atmosphere encapsulated the creative essence of the Toronto underground music scene, as reflected on the attendees’ costumes at Quoted x Vampires Prom Halloween event.

A couple in their Halloween costumes. A woman in a structured red gown with vampire makeup links arms with a man in a velvet suit and mask. — Tony and Chloe haunt Bar Cathedral as Velvet Skull and a Victorian Vampire. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A woman poses in front of a mirrored vanity in a Playboy bunny costume — Neece (@coyboybeepbop) stunts in red hair and a Playboy bunny costume. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

Emma’s (@em.forhan) clever take on The Devil Wears Prada. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

Gab (@gxiis) perfectly captures the essence of Wednesday Addams in her costume. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

damn drone (@damndrone), one of the performers, shows off his Matrix-inspired Neo costume. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

Catrina (@catrinar0se) as Little Bo Peep in her handmade skirt set. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

Sabrina (@sabrinalucer0) pays tribute to rock band KISS in her Paul Stanley costume. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

Aninha and her partner as Harley Quinn and the Joker. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A man dressed in a chef costume with a stuffed animal mouse on his head. — Michael as Alfredo Linguini from Ratatouille featuring his mouse friend. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A woman poses in front of a crowd in a ballerina costume. — Surina (@surina.0) as a Black Swan-inspired ballerina. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A man in joker makeup — Lexus (@topboylexus) as rapper Playboi Carti-inspired joker. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A woman poses in an all-green costume in front of a crowd — Emma (@emma.rigby) stunts as a Leprechaun in an all-green costume. (Sena Law/CanCulture)

A man dressed as a cowboy in front of a mary-go-round . — Jacob (@jacob.madeira) “slays” in his cowboy costume, appropriately posed in front of the mary-go-round decoration inside the venue. (Sena Law/CanCulture)